On Wednesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 62.52 points, or 0.3%, to 24,768.93. The S&P 500 index gained 11.01 points, or 0.4%, to 2,722.46, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 46.67 points, or 0.6%, to 7,398.30.

Standing out Thursday, the small-cap benchmark Russell 2000 index hit an all-time high of 1,620.64. The index also closed at a record, ending at 1,616.37, a gain of 16.03 points, or 1%.